Girl Next Door

New Year's Eve 2010

Smiling to himself, Max made his way upstairs where he knew the thief was hiding. Assuming the right place to look was the only closed door in the hallway, Max opened it and was not at all surprised by what he found.

"Shhh," Mitch whispered. "Close the door. I'm hiding."

Max did as he was bid and closed the door behind him.

"I guessed as much," Max said, laughing quietly.

"Cake is not on the doctor recommended food list," Mitch explained, though Max had already figured this out.

"You know Maggie is only annoying because she cares so much about you," Max explained.

"I know," Mitch replied, looking only a little guilty. "And I love her all the more for it, but this slice of cake, you don't understand, it was begging to be eaten."

"Begging," Max laughed.

"It looked up at me with it's big sad eyes and said 'eat me. I don't want to go to waste,'" Mitch explained.

"I don't think you quite understand the sentience level of baked goods," Max laughed.

"The universe is infinitely complex. You don't know," Mitch replied.

"Oh I think I do," Max laughed.

"Just so long as you don't tell Maggie where I am," Mitch said.

"Don't worry," Max smiled. "I'll keep your secret."

"You better," Mitch sniggered. "What with me keeping your secrets and all."

"I don't have secrets," Max scoffed.

"Oh? What about those feelings for my daughter, huh?" Mitch said, raising an eyebrow before taking another huge bite of his cake.

"I thought you were all drugged up and making stuff up at the hospital," Max mumbled after a moment of awkward silence.

"And how long did it take you to convince yourself of that?" Mitch asked. "What are you so afraid of, son?"

Max didn't speak for a minute, mulling it over. It was uneary how accurate Mitch was. Max hadn't even realized until now that Mitch was right. Max had spent those next few days after the hospital coming up with reasons why Mitch had said what he'd said that made it all less real. So why had Max done that? Why had he felt the need to talk himself out of something that he knew deep down to be true?

"She doesn't feel the same," Max said eventually, realizing the truth of these words even more as he spoke them outloud. "If I tell her she'll just reject me and it'll ruin our friendship."

"She might," Mitch said calmly. "And yes that is very possible, but you can't actually know unless you try."

"How come you've figured me out, but no one else has?" Max asked both wanting to know the answer and very much wanting to change the topic.

"You remind me of someone," Mitch smiled. "Someone who used to glaze the way you gaze."

"Who do you mean?"

"Me," Mitch replied with a smile. "I used to look at Maggie the same way I've caught you gazing at Zoey. That's how I know."

"Why are you telling me this?" Max asked.

"You're a good kid, Max," Mitch said. "I've known you all your life. I couldn't wish for anything better for my Zoey, but if you don't tell her soon she is gonna get swept away by someone else." He paused. "I'm surprised she hasn't already. What are you guys like half way through first year university? Has she met anyone?"